twlu filtered clouds out there. but temperatures are rising quickly now. 54 at national airport. 58 in fredricksburg. up into maryland we go. 52 in germantown. still cooler out way western maryland where frostburg is still in the low 40s. nothing showing up on doppler close to us. that will be our increase in cloud cover coming later this afternoon. and that represents a bit of a sprinkle chance coming overnight tonight into early tomorrow. most of your saturday afternoon and your sunday afternoon will be rain free. a lot of people getting married going outside, planning things today. mid-70s this afternoon with increasing clouds today. cloudy tonight and maybe a sprinkle late tonight, early tomorrow. a warm day tomorrow. not only warm but a touch of humidity coming our way tomorrow. temperatures up into the low and

mid-80s for your sunday afternoon. humidity coming our way. how long does the warm weather last? we'll talk about that. and needed rain showers. we'll talk about that too. >> april showers are not showing up. >> we've had barely a drop in april and we need it bad. >> thanks, chuck. a dozen secret service personnel are returning home this morning after being relieved of duty over accusations of misconduct. multiple sources say that misconduct involves prostitution. the personnel were providing security to the president during his trip to colombia for the summit of americas. it stems from tvlt before the president arrived yesterday. the secret service released a statement reading in part those personnel are being relieved of their assignments and being replaced by other personnel. the secret service takes all allegations of misconduct seriously. these personnel changes will not

affect the comprehensive security plan that has been prepared in advance of the president's trip. three explosions in colombia as they were arrived has security tight today. two were in cartagena. all three were low intensity and did not cause injuries or damage. despite the blast, news of secret service misconduct, president obama kept his schedule yesterday. he along with more than 30 other presidents and prime ministers are attending that summit. they got together for dinner. it was held at the cartagena fortress and hosted by the president there. the police hope a surveillance video will help them catch a bold thief. he walked into the pharmacy of

rhode island avenue. you can see the gun nan the surveillance video. he went right for the register but had trouble opening it. then police say he pulled out his gun, pointed it at the manager and demanded that he open the register. seconds later he shot the manager in the back. he walks out very casually. poce say the shooter walked out calmly. other rite aid employees learned about the shooting as they arrived for their scheduled shifts. >> they was outside crying. and i asked them what happened. they just yelled my manager's name. and i'm like, what happened? they said he had got shot. i immediately went off, start crying. >> anyone who may recognize the gunman in this video is asked to contact d.c. police. a maryland man is behind bars for the beating seen in this viral video from st. patrick's weekend. aaron parson was one of several

people who beat and robbed an arlington man. they then stripped and robbed the man while he was on the ground. this happened after partying in downtown baltimore. parsons faces several charges including robbery and assault. police are still trying to identify others in that video. alexandria water front debate could end in court. they plan to discuss the legal options today in a closed door session. that meeting comes after the zoning board ruled the council wrongly denied a petition. residents pushed for the council to pass a plan with a supermajority vote. instead in january they passed a regular vote allowing developers to start designing new parks, hotels, and stores. home and business owners worry the redevelopment would bring congestion and too much traffic to old town. the fbi is launching an investigation into a north virginia college that closed last week. agents raided all campuses of a.c.t. college last week.

the school shut down last tuesday just before students expected to graduate with certifications as medical and dental stapts. jeff moore blamed the department of education for withholding funds. some staff members say they stopped getting paid last month. >> i can't look back and say should shoulda coulda woulda. >> stuff kg ineffected by the inability to get a transcript. >> they are being sent to the website for access to transcripts. today crew wills start tearing down apartments destroyed by a navy fighter jet crash in virginia beach. the f/a-18 hit the complex last friday moments after taking off by near naval base. luckily no one was killed but the crash destroyed more than two dozen apartments. three of those apartments are scheduled to be demolished

today. the navy is paying professional movers who help residents move out. officials are trying to stabilize other units so they're safe enough for residents to go in and gather belongings. meanwhile those effected are getting a break on filing state taxes. many have financial records buried in the rubble so governor bob mcdonald says those affected can have an extra 30 days to file and pay state taxes. the federal government has not offered a similar extension. a traffic alert now for drivers who use new york avenue in the district. only one lane is open on both the inbound and outbound sides of new york avenue between penn street and florida avenue. crews are doing work on the new york avenue bridge project. the lane closure started at 5:00 this morning and will last until about 2:00 this afternoon. d.d.o.t. wants you to find another route to avoid delays. it's one of the most successful programs of its time and now capital bike share is

making sure their riders stay safe. now members can buy helmets from the program. they cost $16 and can be bought when you start or renew a membership. there's also a plan to pay $7 a month instead of a lump payment of $75 for the full year. bike share has more than 1400 bikes at 150 stations at d.c. and arlington. and it's a great day to be outside. today in d.c. we are moments away from the start of one of the biggest events of the cherry blossom festival. the parade begins at 10:00 this morning. derek ward has joined the crowd and joins us live. >> reporter: good morning. maybe the cherry blossoms have blown in the wind but there's something here in the wind today. this excitement. because this is the an jewel cherry blossom parade. as you look behind me, you can see that everything's getting

underway. preparations are underway. the floats there. over in the distance a bit, some of the balloons. one of the big featured of the parade. this year is the centennial of the cherry blossoms themselves. and the parade's been around since -- the festival has been around since 1935. this year they are pulling out all the stops. it seems like it gets bigger every year. joining me now is diana mayfield. what is important about this especial especially? >> the parade is bigger and better than it's ever been. it's two and a half hours. we have grand marshals marie osmond and kristi yamaguchi. special performances from "american idol" and over 4,000 youths performing in bands from around the country and all over the world. >> reporter: there's one special group of musicians here from japan that you told me about.

they haven't been home since the earthquake and they're performing today. >> they still live in japan but they have not been home. they are a taiko drummers. they kept their spirits and hopes together through their music. so they are featured in the parade. >> reporter: how many people are you expecting? >> probably over 120,000 people today lining the streets. >> reporter: excellent. perfect day for it isn't it? indeed it is. as you heard some of the guests that are here and javier colon, we heard him practicing here. another reason to come down. parade underway in an hour. live downtown, derek ward, news4. >> thank you so much. enjoy the parade. see you soon. today the public will get a chance to see the inside of the

renovated howard theater. comedian wanda sykes will perform this evening along with hip hop artist who used to go by mos def. the howard theater opened as one of the oldest performing arts halls for african-american culture. it closed after the 1968 riots. the theater got $29 million in renovations before this reopening. i love wanda sykes. going to be a great show. >> she's phenomenal. time now is 9:10. the mystery is solved. the source of a salmonella outbreak with over a hundred people sick. also ahead, another twist in the trayvon martin murder. why a new judge may now preside over george zimmerman's trial. and the medical breakthrough that could save thousands of people living with aids and

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in less than a week, george zimmerman will find if he can be released from a florida jail. his lawyer requested a bail hearing next friday. zimmerman is charged with second degree murder in the death of trayvon martin.

the teen was unarmed when the neighborhood watch captain shot him. zimmerman will be arraigned may 29th. if the case goes to trial it won't happen until some time next year. the florida judge in the george zimmerman case may have a conflict of interest. she disclosed that her husband works at a law firm that reached out to zimmerman for counsel. that firm did not take the case, but an attorney there is a legal analyst on the case for cnn. zimmerman's lawyer can file a motion to disqualify the judge before next week's bond hearing. the gop front runner in decision 2012 is asking for more time to do his taxes. mitt romney filed an extension yesterday. earlier this year, romney released his 2010 tax return which received heavy criticism because he pays a lower tax rate than people making less than him. it's around 15% because most income comes from capital gains

and investments. the first family has released their taxes. they earned about $790,000 last year. they pay $160,000 in federal taxes and listed charitable donations of $172,000. that puts the first family's tax rate just above 20%. according to a calculator on the white house website, more than 56,000 millionaires will pay taxes at a lower rate than the obamas. efforts by the white house to focus on taxes are being upstaged by mitt romney's secret weapon. his wife. ann romney is boosting among women after comments by a strt gist sparked the so-called momny wars. claimed mrs. romney had never worked a day in her life despite raising five children. he called had his wife a hero. >> i happen to believe all moms

are working moms. and if you have five sons, your work is never over. >> this is what i love the most. women are talking about the economy and jobs and about the legacy of debt that we're going to leave our children. and we are mad about it. >> democrats including president obama have also come to ann romney's defense over the comments. today former vice president dick cheney will make his first public appearance since having major heart surgery. he got a last-minute medical clearance to return to his home state of wyoming. he'll give the keynote address at the convention today. cheney had a heart transplant three years ago in fairfax county. cheney is 71 years old and spent almost two years on a waiting list. he has a long history of heart disease including five heart attacks. so it's good to hear he's doing well. >> quick recovery. let's get a check on what

the weather's going to be like today. today. chuck bell's got it for us.

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a lot of people anxious to hear about the weather. >> they want to get outdoors so they don't get rained out. >> people get up saturday morning and have a great plan. we're going to go jogging and then give the dog a bath and give the car a wash. >> then when all of that falls through, you stay home, right? >> gee, it's such a nice day maybe sit out and enjoy it a bit. nothing wrong with whatever you want to do. whether you're going to maximize your weekend or minimize your activities this weekend. the weather promises to be very cooperative today and for tomorrow. and there's a chance, anyway, of a couple of showers coming in late tonight. good news is any real chances

for rain this weekend, our best chances of getting rain will come joer night tonight. won't really interfere with your outdoor plans. it's a wonderful way to get your weekend started. the sun is shining. temperatures on their way up. in the mid-50s. winds for now out of the south at only 6 miles per hour. but a south to southwesterly wind will continue to increase in speed later on this afternoon. it'll be kind of a breezy evening a and breezy day coming tomorrow as warm air rushing into the mid-atlantic. 57 in annapolis this morning. 57 at andrews air force base. 50 in haggerstown. near 60 now in fredricksburg. so temperatures are going to be climbing here into the mid and upper 50s for the next couple hours. we'll end up in the low to mid-70s areawide today.

becoming more breezy as the afternoon wears along and more cloud cover as well. but any chances i have are late tonight and before you get up tomorrow morning. it's going to be a busy weather day. a high risk of severe weather now from north central nebraska all the way down to central parts of oklahoma. tough going out there today. if you have flights that'll take you through chicago or st. louis towards oklahoma city, kansas city. be on the lookout. there may be flight delays. batch number two will fire across the great plains later on today. these showers here, most of that's going to miss us to the north. but it's indicative of the fact there is a warm front coming our way. that's what's going to bring the shower chance tonight. for today bright sunshine to start. sunshine fading out behind the clouds late this afternoon into the evening. then late tonight into tomorrow, might be able to wring out a

sprinkle or two. that's it. then the big warm-up moves in. tomorrow low to mid-80s. mid to upper 80s coming up for your monday. for today, starting out with our sunshine. enjoy it. no rain to worry about for your saturday. then for tomorrow after some clouds and maybe a sprinkle first thing, sunshine returns tomorrow afternoon. warm and bordering on a little hint of early season humidity coming our way. as temperatures will climb into the low and mid-80s tomorrow. feeling so summerlike around here for monday. high temperature 87 degrees. that's an average high temperature, btw, for the end of july. that's not good for april. april flowers prefer showers not heat waves. then cooling rain drops come in with the best chance of rain on tuesday. finally back closer to april like weather as we head into next weekend. be on the lookout. a real taste of heat.

they're running the boston marathon. trouble for the runners. >> folks training in much cooler weather. >> this is going to be a tough race for them. >> good luck to them. all right. thanks, chuck. those of you who had grocery shopping on your list of things to do this weekend may not like the new study. meats, cheeses, and other foods now cost nearly 7% more than last year. a sampling of 16 items including cheddar cheese, salad, orange juice, and eggs cost about $52. last year the same cart of groceries would cost less than 50 bucks. some are cheaper though. boneless chicken breasts and white bread. officials learning more about a salmonella outbreak linked to sushi. more than 100 people have gotten sick. many said it was after eating

spicy tuna rolls. the california company is recalling more than 58,000 pounds of its frozen tuna connected to the outbreak. it's sold to restaurants and grocery stores. and the world's largest breast cancer foundation is quietly resuming funding for planned parenthood programs. susan g. komen for the cure has awarded grants to at least 17 planned parenthood affiliates for breast cancer screenings and health services. the komen foundation cut off funding to planned parenthood back in january but quickly reversed that decision after uproar from supporters. the decision has had a heavy financial impact on komen. which has failed to hit fund raising goals in several states. a medical breakthrough this morning that could eventually lead to a cure for deadly diseases like aids and cancer. scientists at ucla say they have found a way to turn stem cells into cells that fight the hiv virus. the cells are taken from adult

blood and are urn theed into immune cells that then seek out and kill the virus. so far the technique has been successful in attacking hiv in hundreds of lab mice. >> we haven't fully developed the technology to clear them of hiv. but they are significantly suppressed in the amount of virus that is replicating. >> i think it's great. if i had a chance, i'd volunteer for that study in a heart beat. >> researchers say human trials are next. and if those are successful, the treatment could be available to patients in about ten years. all right. the time now is 9:26. thanks for joining us. a powerful tornado tears through oklahoma. and this could be a sign of things to come today. the historic warning the national weather center is issuing for much of the midwest. good luck, son. >> and an emotional moment at a baseball game.

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welcome to news4 today. i'm erika gonzalez. >> i'm richard jordan. here's a look at the top stories this morning. a dozen secret service personnel are being returned home after accusations of misconduct. that misconduct b involves prostitution. they were providing security to the president to his trip to colombia. fbi agents have raided all three a.c.t. campuses in virginia. scores of boxes and equipment were removed from the facilities. the college abruptly shut down last tuesday. they blame the department of

education for withholding funding. trike up the band. we are less than 30 minutes a i way from the cherry blossom parade. it's one of the most popular of the festival. surrounding streets will be blocked off to drivers until about 2:00 this afternoon. residents of norman, oklahoma, are spending this weekend cleaning up after this powerful storm that triggered a tornado. several buildings were damaged but no one was seriously hurt. however, the national weather center expects today's weather to be worse. for just the second time ever, it is issuing a high risk storm warning 24 hours in advance. and a deadly line of storms could stretch in texas to illinois. meteorologist chuck bell joins us now from storm center 4 with more on today's potentially deadly storms. >> they're taking caution in the midwest because of the real threat for high end severe weather for today. and the setup is absolutely

classic which is why they were able to actually issue the advisory for high risk for severe weather yesterday. some 24 hours in advance. so the high risk area is the red bullseye that goes from north central nebraska all the way through central and eastern kansas into central parts of oklahoma anywhere in the red shaded area. a high likelihood of long track tornadoes and very large baseball to softball size hailstones. also quite likely. here's the setup. it's going to be warm today in nebraska. temperatures in the 70s to near 80 for omaha. look on the left side of your screen just to the west of the word kas per in wyoming, that's snow. cold air on the west and warm air out of the gulf of mexico. where they meet, that's the clash of air masses and the risk of severe weather. the fading thunderstorms as they come into the ohio river, they are generating rain. so there will be delays for chicago and st. louis.

look out for that. for us nothing more than a sprinkle chance late tonight into tomorrow. high risk for severe weather in the middle of the country. for us highs in the 70s. we'll talk about the rest out of ou weekend forecast and a look through the seven-day coming up in a couple more minutes. if you have family out in the middle of the country, give them a friendly call from the east coast to let them know it looks like the weather's going to be bad out there. >> meteorologist chuck bell, thank you so much. appreciate it. people in a small new hampshire town are remembering their police chief killed just days before retirement. hundreds of greenland residents turned out to hold a candle light vigil for michael maloney. he was killed wednesday night when suspects in a drug raid opened fire on police. he died doing what he loved. >> he was one of the troops. it was nothing he wouldn't do.

>> he had a passion for this job always. maybe not so much the political stuff but going out and doing the job, doing what he died doing. >> maloney had served as chief for 12 years. he was about to retire. four other police officers were wounded in the shootout. new this morning the united nations will weigh in on the crisis in syria with a vote. a panel will decide today if military observers will go into is the country to monitor a cease fire. so far the syrian government and opposition fighters seemed to have hushed off. to discuss drafted. the peace plans are aimed at ending more than a year of violence that has killed more than 9,000 people. also new this morning, eight shiite muslims have been gunned down in pakistan. police say gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire killing all six people inside. minutes later they shot and killed two people riding in a

rickshaw. shiite muslims are a minority in pakistan. most shiites and sunnis live peacefully in the country. but in recent years attacks have become more common. family members say the health of the lockerbie bomber is deteriorating. ab do you mean megrahi's brother says he is getting a blood transfusion. he was the only convicted bomber of the panem flight. all people on board were killed. britain freed megrahi on compassionate grounds because he supposedly had only months to live. a virginia man who made videos for a known terror group has been sentenced to prison. jubar ahmad admitted to producing online videos and other videos in support of a pakistani terror organization. they were blamed for the terror

attacked in mumbai, india, four years ago that killed nearly 200 people. that mild winter we just had helped air passengers get to their destinations on time. the country's largest airliners operated more than 86% of their flights on schedule in febds. last year in february only 75% of flights were on time. virgin america had the highest amount at 91%. express jet and united had the worst. is a san francisco giants fan nearly beaten to death last year helped throw out the first pitch at the home opener. >> good luck, son. >> there it is. on a video board, bryan stow said good luck, son, and held out the ball virtually to his son tyler. the 13-year-old then threw the ball right over home plate to the cheering of the crowd.

bryan stow was beaten into a coma last year. he's still undergoing aggressive therapy to become more independent. incredible with the technology. >> what they can do. what a tremendous story. the time is now 9:36. >> a super hero in city hall. the mayor that risked his own live to save one of his neighbors. and he's the newest big man on campus at georgetown. we'll introduce you to j.

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weapons. iran insists it has no such intentions. countries meeting today hope iran will commit to at least discussing the terms. it appeared vincent orange will hold on to his seat. he's increased his lead over biddle. he now holds a more than 1700 vote lead over biddle who only trailed by about 500 votes following the april 3rd primary. the 3% lead means there will be no recount unless biddle requests one. the mayor of new jersey's largest city is giving new meaning to the term servant. cory booker is being hailed a hero for saving a woman from her burning home.

>> reporter: with his hand wrapped in bandages, mayor cory booker tried to down play his injury. >> it's just burn with some blistering. >> reporter: burns from what many are calling an act of heroism. he returned home to find his neighbor's house on fire. >> that's the kitchen. >> that's where the fire started? >> yes. >> reporter: when booker realized a woman was trapped inside, he sprang into action. the mayor reacted before the fire department responded. he went up the stairs to the second floor where he suddenly found himself with a room full of smoke and flames. his bodyguard tried to stop him, but booker ran through the fire, hoisted his neighbor on to his shoulder and carried her to safety. >> if he hadn't did it, she'd be dead. >> reporter: news of booker's bravery spread as quick as the fire. on twitter, it's a bird it's a plane it's cory booker!

and superheroes dress up as cory booker on halloween. it's not the first time he's served constituents in unusual ways. from shoveling snow to chasing down a suspected robber. >> he's a selfless person. >> reporter: though she'ses in serious condition, her mother is grateful. thanking the neighbor who gives a whoa new meaning to the term public servant. nbc news, newark. >> high standard for all the country's other mayors out there. >> i would say so. >> it's a good reminder you get through everything together with your neighbors and your friends and family whether it's shoveling the snow or helping people out of a fire. neighborhood counts. >> and we can get through a nice day together, chuck. >> you're not going to need help to get through a day like today. are you kidding me? we'll talk abo

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check out an amazing light show courtesy of mother nature. a photographer captured these images with a 20 second time lapsed exposure. lightning hit all four towers of the bay bridge. 750 lightning strikes in san francisco thursday and a record amount of rainfall. >> chuck bell, are you seeing this? >> absolutely. they had one of the rainiest on record. it was nice for about 36 hours on either end of that sunshine, rain storms. app lot of rain for them this time of year. and thunderstorms not completely all that unusual for california. but when kwloi start getting

500, 700 lightning strokes in a single day, that is noteworthy. for us no chance for thunder or lightning anywhere all weekend long. nearest threat for any unsettling weather is probably across parts of western ohio valley. nowhere near us. for now as your weekend gets underway, to your saturday, everybody. beautiful day as you look live over ronald reagan international airport where the sun is out. 54 degrees our current temperature. dew points are still in the 30s right now. it's a relatively dry air mass in place. tomorrow as the warm front comes through, these numbers, the dew point numbers, will move up into the 50s and 60s. as a result it's going to feel like summer level humidity. you know what i mean. a hint of humidity coming our way tomorrow and especially monday. for now, though, your weekend is starting off nice and quiet. mostly in the upper 40s and low

50s downtown. no rain close to us. nearest rain drops and these are not going to make it all the way to us today, they are indicative of the fact there are high and mid-level clouds to our west. those will dim our sunshine. and these will linger into tonight. may generate enough to get a few spots kind of wet tomorrow morning. then tomorrow afternoon, sun's back. lot of heavy rain across central illinois. and they're still watching out for later today the high risk for central nebraska all the way into the central parts of oklahoma. no severe weather for us anytime soon. by the time that weather front gets here, it will be tuesday afternoon, tuesday night. and by then the threat will be diminished. starting out with the sunshine. that will fade behind those clouds later on this afternoon as the warm front comes through and the moisture sneaks from the deep south into the mid-atlantic. may spring out tomorrow. but then tomorrow afternoon the sunshine is back and that sets the stage for a big warm-up

tomorrow and monday. so far today, then, we'll call it a mostly sunny day. as the afternoon wears along, the sun will fade out behind the clouds. temperatures in the low 70s. tomorrow after the clouds and maybe a sprinkle in the morning, the sun's back tomorrow afternoon. noticeably warmer and a hint of humidity coming our way as well. monday it's going to feel more like summertime around here. sprilz showers? forget about it. we're going right into hot. i hate to say hot and humid only because you start thinking of mid-summer humidity, oppressive levels. it won't be that bad. but by april standards, it's going to be hot and humid for sure. the showers clear out by late tuesday night. and finally cooler weather heading our way to the second half of next week. tomorrow and the front half of the week, toasty. >> it's a jolt to see hot. >> you've got the call it something. >> thank you, chuck.

>> the federal government may actually make money on all the bailouts used to save banks and others during the great recession. in a best case scenario over the next ten years, bailouts could produce as much as $163 billion in profits. it would come in the form of repayment, stock sales, and interest paid by banks, insurance firms, and auto companies. much of that may be used to prop up the still struggling fannie mae and freddie mac. and news of the profits didn't keep wall street from posting their worst week of the year. the dow lost nearly 137 points yesterday to close out the week down 1.6%. the s&p fell 2% on the week. investors are worried about the reoccurring debt problems and slowing growth in china. despite the losses, the dow still ahead 5% on the year. and one of the redskins

fans' favorite players will be back next season. and the nationals look to keep their hot start going this season. >> here's the sports minute. >> good morning, everybody. i'm amber theo theoharis. fletcher tweeting on friday redskins fans i'm back. fletcher spent the last five seasons in washington. the nats get another solid outing from their starter. zimmerman gives up just one earned run. but the hero was jayson werth. he slaps a hit up the middle. espinosa scores the game-winning run. nationals win 2-1. wizards visiting the knicks.

carmelo anthony scored all his points in the first half. the wizards turn the ball over 21 points and lose by 38 points. next up, the wiz take on the cavaliers tonight at verizon center. and later today, caps and bruins, game two. see that action here on news4 at 3:00. that's your morning sports. i'm amber theoharis. have a good day. georgetown has unveiled the successor to jack the bulldog. he's j.j. he's spending his first weekend in d.c. i got a chance to meet this mascot in training. >> reporter: georgetown's newest transfer will be top dog. the hoya blue pep band giving the pup all the pomp and circumstance worthy of the school legend. >> he's so cute. he's been mellow for the crowd. >> reporter: jack jr. but referred to as j.j.

jack senior is still the official mascot. but the smaller jack is one step closer to taking the lead once his predecessor is ready to heel. that likely won't be any time soon. j.j. arrived from california. georgetown theology professor rev lend christopher ste rks can will take on the doggy duties. >> the old dog jack will help calm and quiet the new dog. >> reporter: the little guy has to learn how to be a hoya. that means acquiring a taste for card board. >> georgetown basketball games jack eats a card board box that has the printed out piece of paper of the opposing team's mascot. >> reporter: the jack crew helps care for the bulldogs and is looking forward to training. >> it looks like he's used to the water bottle. that's key. other than that it's probably going to be hopping out the golf

cart and he knows not to jump off. >> reporter: j.j. was donated to the university by an alumni couple whose children currently go to georgetown. he's well behaved. >> really? cute face. long car ride and yet still well behaved. that's a good dog. the time right now 9:55. the cherry blossom parade is about to get underway. we will go back live to check out the festivities when we return. and we'll give you some credit. how your credit score is calculated and what you can do to boost it. welcome to the take on the week that was. >> that began with rick santorum's word he was suspending his campaign which made mitt romney the presumptivive republican nominee. >> it escalated with a back and forth on the so-called buf ret

rule. and a war on women. >> and romney who faces the deficit with female voters according to to most polls fought back saying economically women haven't faired well over the past three years. >> and the romney campaign got a brought when a strategist said ann had never worked a day in her life. >> and we saw democrats including president obama distance themselves from those

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good morning. i'm richard jordan. >> and i'm erika gonzalez. in our top stories this morning, a dozen secret service personnel are returning home after being accused of misconduct. multiple sources say that that misconduct involves prostitution.

the personnel were providing security to the president during his trip to colombia. >> fbi agents have raided all three a.c.t. campuses in virginia. scores of boxes and equipment were removed. the college abruptly shut down last tuesday. the school's director blames the department of education for withholding funds. right now dozens of bands and floats are making their way down the route for the cherry blossom festival parade. the annual event started just moments ago. derek ward has an up close view and joins us live. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. they are about to start. any minute now this parade is going to step off from 7th street here. you can look at some of the floats lining up. that's miss piggy there. she's got a muffin top thing going there on. she looks scrumptious.

it's been a hundred years since the gift of cherry trees from japan was made to the united states. only been since about 1935 there's been a festival surrounding it. this parade is sort of the pinnacle of that festival. it's where everyone comes out and basks in it. there is plenty o see here. lots of hot air balloons and entertainment as well. we spoke to one of the entertainers who's going to be here performing a song. that's javier colon from nbc's "the voice." >> this is pretty awesome to have been invited to this is amazing. i'm honored. i just -- i've never been part of anything like this. so to see something at such a large scale and be part of it is amazing. i'm excited. >> reporter: and it is an honor for a lot of folks to come down here and perform. just to be here. you know, thousands of folks are going to be participating or just watching it. of course this is the perfect day to do either.

we want to show you a map now of some of the parade route and some of the closings you will have to -- if you have to avoid. if you're go i think to come down, just come down. you can't miss it. the parade kicks off any minute now. supposed to be over about 12:30. something to spread the joy longer for you today. as you can see again, ben franklin back there. they seem to be focusing on the that here. it started as a science project and is now part of the parade now. that's where we are live. news4. now back to you. >> all right, derek ward. thank you. where's the kite? where's the kite? >> benjamin without a kite? are you kidding me? >> come on.

>> he's got scooby doo there so what else do you need? >> the kite tends to listen better. >> i would say it would be a great day for a kite but not too windy today. >> it will be breezier later on this afternoon. tomorrow may be the better of the kite flying days this weekend. today not a bad day. you may have to do leg power to get it started. after that it'll be all right. beautiful green canopy over washington today. bright sunshine getting through today. temperatures climbing very quickly. already into the upper 50s to near 60 degrees. 58 at international airport. 61 at the naval academy in annapolis. no rain on the radar. just a little ground clutter. nothing to worry about. meanwhile light rain showers across parts of ohio and western west virginia. those are fading away. you will va chance of a few sprinkles moving into town. so your saturday will be rain free with increasing clouds and

an increasing southwesterly breeze. temperatures today in the low 70s. then for tomorrow starting out with the clouds tomorrow then becoming mostly sunny. a breezier day tomorrow. winds out of the southwest tomorrow. but again, any rain chances this weekend happen really between about midnight tonight and sunrise tomorrow. anything you want to do outside, no complaints whatsoever. might be time to think about opening a back yard pool. close to that time of year. >> getting color for us lighter skin friends. i hear you. i feel. i do. all right. thanks, chuck. electronics giant best buy is closing two local stores to avoid going the way of circuit city. best buy's at land mark mall and in fredricksburg will shut their doors by may. employees at the stores were notified this morning and will be offered other positions at nearby stores. both stores are closed today but

will be open tomorrow. best buy has 39 other stores in the washington, d.c. area. what's in a number? a lot if you're talking about your y credit score. the difference between good and fair scores can be thousands of dollars in interest rates or complete rejection on a loan. liz crenshaw has a look at how it all works. m. >> everybody else's is higher than mine. i'm trying to catch up. >> do you know what your credit score is or know what it's for? >> no. >> no idea? >> no idea. >> reporter: not sure what your credit score is or you're confused. >> they've got too much credit, not enough credit. >> reporter: there are lots of numbers claiming to be your credit score. but the ones lenders look at most is a fico score. a score above 750 is considered excellent.

your score determines whether you, say, get a car loan or mortgage. and your score determines your interest rate. >> it's kind of like your gpa. >> reporter: the cofounder of credit.com says there are five factors that raise or lower your score. factor number one and most important, your payment history. it makes up 35% of your score. >> simple. you pay on time and have you built a history of paying on time? >> reporter: factor number two, how much debt to you carry compared to credit. it is 30% of your score. >> this is sort of the keep your debts under control theory. >> reporter: factor number three, how long have you had your credit? this is 15% of your score. factor number four, how often do you search for new credit? this is 10% of your score. and factor number five, what types of credit do you have? again, 10% of your score.

>> they like to see a seasoned credit history. they like to see mix of accounts. mortgage, resolving which is credit cards, installment like loans. and then inquiries. are you looking for credit like mad? or have you been responsible in the way that you apply for credit? >> reporter: if you need to improve your score, fix any of these factors. so how do you find out your score? well, you have to pay for it. fico charges about $20. some credit bureaus have their own scores called vantage. they charge from $8 to $10. bottom line, your credit score controls your financial options. so boosting it is the best strategy. >> you want to be higher. you want to be higher. >> and that was liz crenshaw reporting. remember. you're entitled to a free credit report from each bureau wauns year. make sure there are no errors on your report. that is critical.

if you want to get your score or free credit report, we have links on nbcwashington.com. just search credit score. >> you don't realize how important it is until someone asks you for your credit score. then it's too late. >> try to apply for a car, some new clothes. just kidding. 10:08 is the time. good morning, everyone. going green on your wedding day? simple things to do to help the environment on your big day. and later this is day that could bring historic storms to the midwest. we'll go to oklahoma which is in the heart of the threatening [ male announcer ] a car is either luxury or it isn't. if you want a luxury car with a standard power moonroof, your options are going to be limited. ♪ if you want standard leather-trimmed seats, you're going to have even fewer. ♪ and if you want standard keyless access, then your choice is obvious. the lexus es.

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leave a small carbon footprint on the biggest day of your life. planning and eco-friendly wedding is easier than ever these days. joining us with highlights from her green bride guide is kate

harrison. thank you for joining us. >> good morning. >> green bride guide. how does one be eco-friendly on their wedding day. why would people even think that? >> let's start with the why. so the average wedding produces 400 pounds of garbage and 63 tons of co2. >> just in one day? >> yes. for american brides. so there's a huge opportunity to make a difference with your wedding just by making really simple substitutions. >> you've actually got a book that details all that and how you can be eco-friendly on your big day. >> the book came out in 2008. it takes you through the wedding planning process. it's the idea it's on a budget. so everyone has a budget whether it's small or large. we offer options in every choice. >> you don't have to break the bank in order to have a great wedding day. >> not at all.

nor sacrifice style. we have a pavilion there where we're showing these options. and the idea is that you come in and you can sort of see different ways to go green. >> what is -- of course it is all about the bride and about the dress. so you can still be eco-friendly with a dress? >> yes. there's a fabulous designer here in town elizabeth st. john. this is a koun made out of silk. the underpart of the gown is recycled plastic lining. >> this is idiana. could you pick up the maller portion of the dress so we can see. underneath that, tell me what that is again? >> it's recycled p.e.t. plastic. they turned it into lining of a wedding gown. >> do we know price point for this? >> same cost for a normal gown. >> really? talk about getting bang for your buck. gorgeous gown. but you still got -- you have to

provide for all of your guests. party favors. >> i wanted to show every part. we have flowers. thought this would be nice for spring. so these are plantable favors. >> these. >> the flowers are from one world flower. >> that's important. >> and then these are plantable. these are the ones plantable. come in a box. got seeds in there. >> we have these ones that are in a pot. i brought edible favors. >> what are these? these are the ones that sparked my interest. the edible ones. these are nice. >> they're organic lollipops. and you can use the little tag to write your guests' names. also double as a seating card. >> that's cute. what's the skillet up here? >> the reason i brought a skillet with me aside tths light and great, it's all made here in the u.s. out of recycled materials. so we have on the website, 600

gifts you can register for. it's an easy way to funnel money toward the green economy. >> you're going to be able to find out all about whether it's the party favors, what to register for, or your gown itself this weekend at the bridal expo so you guys can see where this going to be so you can get tips for your big day. >> we have a booth, the eco-wedding tour is at the washington bridal showcase this weekend. not only do we have all of these and many more options but free information and gift cards. everyone should stop by. >> there we go. 11:00 to 5:00 tomorrow at the dulles expo center. this is in chantilly. lots of ways to go green on your big day. kate harrison, thank you for joining us. and good luck to the girls on their big day. we will be back to news4 today

good morning, everyone. the midwest is bracing for what could be a historic day of storms. oklahoma has already been hit with one major tornado. >> it struck in the town of norman. eric fisher is on the ground there. he's got a look at the damage. >> reporter: we've been talking a lot about today's severe weather threat. yesterday obviously was a threat to oklahoma. you can see the evidence here. up and down 24th avenue, there's no question as to where this storm tracked. power lines down. about 5,000 customers without power right now. the crews are out. got up early on this morning trying to repair the snapped telephone poles. hopefully the lights are back on before the next batch rolls through. you look at the path of this storm. easy to see. all the way down 24th avenue yao got lines down as far as you can see out into the distance. also effected an apartment

complex where people were home. only ten injuries reported. that's good news. none are serious even with the roof being ripped off and windows blown out. whatever we had yesterday could be a lot worse today and widespread. we're telling people to be prepared, look at the warnings and a safe place to go. we could be dealing with strong, long track tornadoes later on this evening. that's the latest here in norman, oklahoma. back to you. >> all right. and chuck, what do you think? >> big trouble out there in the midwest today. where he's standing there's only about one mile off the campus of the university of oklahoma where i went to school. i've been in that very spot. that dodge out will be substantial damage from yesterday's storm. only two tornadoes reported all day yesterday. that will not be the case today. today will be a far more serious severe weather day across much of the middle country.

if you have friends or relatives out that way keep a weather eye to the sky. it's going to be a rough day for them. meanwhile for us, the toughest thing we got going on the camera for you this morning, look there in the lower part, look at that line of backed up traffic now. 395 northbound going over the 14th street bridge at a near dead stop right now because of the cherry blossom festival parade getting underway in downtown d.c. here's your friendly reminder from me, not the traffic guy, stay away from 395 north here. it is a parking lot all the way over the bridge. sunshine. it's a great day to sit in traffic and enjoy the sunshine. 58 degrees out there right now. winds increasing later on this afternoon and tomorrow promising to be a breezier day. temperatures climbing into the low 60s. we're headed to highs in the low to mid-70s with plenty of sunshine. no threat of rain around here today.

most of this is going to stay across pennsylvania. some of these sprinkles here associated with a warm front coming our way. heavier weather which could cause flight delays. kansas city down into southern portions of the plains. and out here this is where the greatest threat for severe weather is. encompasses norman, oklahoma, to places like lincoln, nebraska. tough day for them. for us? beautiful weather today. no problem. sunshine to start. clouds sneaking in later on this afternoon. so the fading sunshine for sure. then overnight tonight as the warm front lifts through and brings the warmer more humid air mass in place, anytime you change air masses, you have a sprinkle or two. that's what we're facing tonight and the morning. plenty of sunshine tomorrow and strong southwest wind. that'll warm things up substantially. so today not a bad day. clouds on the increase but a dry one. highs today low to mid-70s. then for tomorrow, a cloudy start with maybe a bit of

morning dampness. into the low and mid-80s. and i put the word hot on monday. 87 in april. that is 20 degrees warmer than average. 87 is an average high for the end of july. this is not what we need in april. we need april showers and the best chance is tuesday. >> the calendar's all screwed up this year. >> no kidding. >> thank you, chuck. the time right now 10:23. new york city's rather odd new ambassadors. >> how odd? let's say one picking a wireless network is a lot like picking a team. you could go with the fastest, most reliable, and at the very least, talented at what they do. or... you could go in the other direction, and see what happens. pick the right team. with over 6 times the 4g lte coverage,

verizon is the obvious choice.

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fiber one. wedding bells are ringing for one of hollywood's couples. brangelina. brad pitt and angelina jolie are engaged. pitt's rep confirmed saying it's a promise for their future.

whatever you want to call that. the actor helped design the ring. we're all still waiting to see what that would look like. they met on the set of "mr. and mrs. smith" in 2005. they've got six kids together. >> good for them. wish them the best. >> it's a glorified promise ring. kermit the frog and miss piggy are the new ambassadors of new york city. >> they are now the official family ambassadors. they teamed up to with mayor bloomberg to make the announcements. check out the parks as kermit would say. >> thanks for joining us. see you tomorrow.